Liquid tight cover assembly for outdoor electrical devices

Abstract

A cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device includes a base having a rear wall with an adapter plate which surrounds the face of the device. A lid which is hinged to the base includes a front panel having an arched or curved contour. Projecting from the underside of the front panel is a grid of ribs having coplanar proximal edges. The distal face of a gasket seats against the proximal edges and the grid is open in a space behind a breakaway portion of the gasket. In the event the electrical device comprises a toggle switch, the breakaway portion is removed, leaving an opening such that the toggle switch lever can extend into the opening and, if necessary, into the open space, without distorting the proximal face of the gasket which seals against the rear wall when the lid is closed.

Having thus described the invention, there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent: 
     
       1. A cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device comprising a base having a planar rear panel and a lid hinged to the base, the lid including a front panel and a peripheral boundary skirt, the boundary skirt having a proximal edge lying in a first plane, the boundary skirt including a pair of straight parallel side walls, a continuous straight rear wall extending from one side wall to an other side wall and a front wall extending from the one side wall to the other side wall, an array of ribs extending from an underside of the front panel toward the first plane, the array of ribs including a first straight rib, one end of the first straight rib being joined to the front wall and an other end of the first straight rib being joined to the rear wall, the first straight rib being parallel to the side walls and a second straight rib, one end of the second straight rib being joined to the one side wall and an other end of the second straight rib being joined to the other side wall, the first and second straight ribs intersecting each other intermediate their respective ends, the ribs terminating with proximal edges lying at a second plane, the second plane being parallel to the first plane, the cover assembly further including a gasket of uniform thickness seated within the boundary skirt, a distal face of the gasket abutting the proximal edges of the ribs and a proximal face of the gasket lying in or slightly beyond the first plane, whereby when the lid is in a closed position, the proximal face of the gasket seats against the rear panel to seal the outdoor electrical device against liquid. 
     
     
       2. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the gasket includes a breakaway portion, the breakaway portion being removed to form an opening through the gasket, whereby in the event the electrical device comprises a toggle switch having a lever, the lever extends into the opening when the lid is closed without distortion of the gasket. 
     
     
       3. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 2  wherein the underside of the front panel includes an open space free of ribs, the breakaway portion of the gasket being in registration with the open space, whereby the lever may extend into the open space when the lid is closed. 
     
     
       4. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the rear panel of the base includes an opening, an adapter plate having an aperture dimensioned to receive the lever of the toggle switch being seated in the opening. 
     
     
       5. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the underside of the front panel includes an open space free of ribs, the opening through the gasket being in registration with the open space. 
     
     
       6. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 1 , the cover assembly further including a plurality of adapter plates, each adapter plate configured with an aperture dimensioned to receive an operative face of a different electrical device and the rear panel of the base including an opening dimensioned for seating an adapter plate. 
     
     
       7. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the first straight rib is perpendicular to the second straight rib. 
     
     
       8. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 1  wherein the array of ribs comprises a grid including a third straight rib extending from the front wall to the rear wall, the a third straight rib being parallel to the side walls and a fourth straight rib extending from the one side wall to the other side wall, the first and the third straight ribs being orthogonal to the second and the fourth straight ribs. 
     
     
       9. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 1  wherein a contour of the front panel comprises a cylindrical segment centered about an axis which is transverse to the side walls. 
     
     
       10. A cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device comprising a base having a planar rear panel and a lid hinged to the base, the rear panel including an opening, an adapter plate having an aperture dimensioned to receive an operative face of an electrical device being seated in the opening, the lid including a curved front panel and a continuous peripheral boundary skirt, the boundary skirt including a pair of side walls, a rear wall extending from one side wall to an other side wall and a front wall extending from the one side wall to the other side wall, the boundary skirt having a proximal edge lying in a first plane, an array of ribs extending from an underside of the front panel toward the first plane, the array of ribs including a first straight rib, one end of the first rib being joined to the front wall and an other end of the first rib being joined to the rear wall, the array further including a second rib, one end of the second rib being joined to the one side wall and an other end of the second rib being joined to the other side wall, the first and the second ribs intersecting each other intermediate their respective ends, the ribs terminating with proximal edges lying at a second plane, the second plane being parallel to the first plane, the cover assembly further including a gasket of uniform thickness seated within the boundary skirt, a distal face of the gasket abutting the proximal edges of the ribs and a proximal face of the gasket lying in or slightly beyond the first plane, whereby when the lid is in a closed position, the proximal face of the gasket seats against the rear panel to seal the outdoor electrical device against liquid. 
     
     
       11. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 10  wherein the gasket includes a breakaway portion, the breakaway portion being removed to form an opening through the gasket, whereby in the event the electrical device comprises a toggle switch having a lever, the lever extends into the opening when the lid is closed without distortion of the gasket. 
     
     
       12. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 11  wherein the underside of the front panel includes an open space free of ribs, the opening through the gasket being in registration with the open space, whereby the lever may extend into the open space when the lid is closed. 
     
     
       13. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 11  the array further including a third rib extending from the front wall to the rear wall and a fourth rib extending from the one side wall to the other side wall, the first and the third ribs being orthogonal to the second and the fourth ribs. 
     
     
       14. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 10  wherein the curved front panel includes a contour comprising a cylindrical segment centered about an axis which is transverse to the side walls. 
     
     
       15. A cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device comprising a base having a planar rear panel and a lid hinged to the base, the lid including a curved front panel, the lid further including a continuous peripheral boundary skirt, the boundary skirt including a pair of parallel side walls, a rear wall transverse to the side walls, the rear wall extending from one side wall to an other side wall, the boundary skirt further including a front wall, the boundary skirt having a proximal edge lying in a first plane, an array of ribs extending from an underside of the front panel toward the first plane, the ribs terminating with proximal edges lying at a second plane, the second plane being parallel to the first plane, the array comprising a first rib, one end of the first rib being joined to the front wall and an other end of the first rib being joined to the rear wall, the array further comprising a second rib, one end of the second rib being joined to the one side wall and an other end of the second rib being joined to the other side wall, the first and second ribs intersecting each other intermediate their ends, the cover assembly further including a gasket of uniform thickness seated within the boundary skirt, a distal face of the gasket abutting the proximal edges of the ribs and a proximal face of the gasket lying in or slightly beyond the first plane, whereby when the lid is in a closed position, the proximal face of the gasket seats against the rear panel to seal the outdoor electrical device against liquid penetration. 
     
     
       16. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the gasket includes a breakaway portion, the breakaway portion being removed to form an opening through the gasket, whereby in the event the electrical device includes a portion projecting from the rear panel, the portion will extend into the opening when the lid is closed without distortion of the gasket. 
     
     
       17. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 16  wherein the underside of the front panel includes an open space free of ribs, the opening through the gasket being in registration with the open space, whereby the portion of the electrical device may extend through the opening and into the open space when the lid is closed. 
     
     
       18. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 16 , further including a third rib extending from the front wall to the rear wall and a fourth rib extending from the one side wall to the other side wall, the first rib and third rib being orthogonal to the second rib and the fourth rib. 
     
     
       19. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 15  wherein the array of ribs comprises a grid including a third rib extending from the front wall to the rear wall, the first rib and the third rib being parallel to the side walls, the grid further including a fourth rib extending from the one side wall to the other side wall, the second rib and the fourth rib being parallel to one another, the first rib and the third rib being orthogonal to the second rib and the fourth rib. 
     
     
       20. The cover assembly for an outdoor electrical device as constructed in accordance with  claim 15 , the cover assembly further including a plurality of adapter plates, each adapter plate configured with an aperture dimensioned to receive an operative face of a different electrical device and the rear panel of the base including an opening dimensioned for seating an adapter plate.